Adams V. Texas [Paperback]

Randall Adams (Author), William Hoffer (Author), Marilyn Mona Hoffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992

A former death row inmate describes the miscarriage of justice that led to his wrongful conviction on charges of murdering a Dallas police officer and details his thirteen-year battle to clear his name.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This exceedingly depressing account of the wrongful imprisonment of Randall Adams in a Texas jail for 12 years lacks the drama of the film about the case, Errol Morris's The Thin Blue Line .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Adams's story gained nationwide attention in Errol Morris's extraordinary film, The Thin Blue Line , which showed how Adams had been convicted in Texas of a policeman's murder, largely due to evidence given by the person who probably was the real killer. The film's acclaim and the attention it brought to the case eventually led to Adams's release from prison, where he had served 12 years. These are the bare bones of the story, yet as this book makes clear, there are many more aspects to it that the film did not, or could not, convey: the pain suffered by Adams's family; the overwhelming indignity and brutality of life in prison; the sheer nightmare of being sentenced to die for a crime he did not commit; and the legal labyrinth he had to steer through before the state would admit that it was wrong. Extremely well written and emotionally involving, this is one true crime book that will stay with the reader for a very long time. Highly recommended for all collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/91.
- Sally G. Waters, Stetson Law Lib., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312927789
• ISBN-13: 978-0312927783
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real account of life inside the can and in legal bureaucracy, May 9, 2000

By 

JohnnieJack - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adams V. Texas (Paperback)

This book gave you the real story of how the legal system can work for or against you. Randall Adams gives you a true account about what we all dream could or hope never happens to us. Its a real eye opener and a book you will never forget about and it will stick with you. A must read if you want to really know. Read it!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reads like a fictional crime novel, but it's TRUE!, April 17, 2003

By 

Mark Daniels (Anywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adams V. Texas (Paperback)

I can't count how many times I've watched "The Thin Blue Line" and how many times I've read this book. Like everything else I become interested in, I became OBSESSED with the Randall Adams case and wanted to know everything about it. Randall Dale Adams is - in my opinion - a living hero; I hope to meet him someday and shake his hand.

Adams' memoir (1976-1989) reads like a fictional suspense novel... it's hard to believe, but it's true! The book includes a lot of things that viewers of Errol Morris's documentary haven't seen... we see how improperly biased Judge Metcalf was, as he drives from the courthouse parking lot in the same car as the prosecutors, laughing at Adams' family as he passes them! That's appalling.

I highly recommend both this book and the documentary film "The Thin Blue Line."

Other reviewers have expressed curiousity about Randall's life after prison. Here's what I know:
At first, he was hounded by the press; they followed him everywhere. He traveled the college circuit, getting paid for telling his story. He co-wrote this book, and went on a publicity tour to support it (which took him, briefly, back to Texas). Eventually things quieted down and Randall tried to lead a normal life; he got a factory job in his native Ohio and had a brief marriage. Then a friend encouraged him to speak out against the death penalty, and he began again to publicly oppose capital punishment. During another trip to Texas to support a moratorium on the death penalty, he met an activist named Jill. Three weeks later, he moved from Ohio to (gulp!) Texas to be with her. They're now married and speaking out against the death penalty together...

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Story and I'm Glad It Had A Happy Ending, August 15, 2002

By 

J. Reynolds (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adams V. Texas (Hardcover)

This is an extremely interesting book, it's all the narrative background behind the documentary film "The Thin Blue Line." I hope Adams is doing okay now. I'm certainly glad the truth was brought out, and that he was properly cleared and freed.

One point I found most interesting was Adams' sideline exploration of the fact that someone who opposes the death penalty cannot be excluded (for that reason) from the jury in a capital murder case. It seems that juries are supposed to be representative of society, and a significant portion of society DOES oppose the death penalty -- thus it is appropriate for people who think that way to be allowed to serve on a death penalty jury.